Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and Cresskill, NJ

For one person, living is cheaper in Cresskill, NJ: $2,684 a month against $3,072 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $4,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

146

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
Learn more

Chicago, IL Living Index
128

Cost of Living Index in Cresskill, NJ
Learn more

Cresskill, NJ Living Index

Jump to prices

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,072

/mo nomad

Cresskill, NJ

🇺🇸 United States

$2,684

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chicago, IL and in Cresskill, NJ

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Chicago, IL and in Cresskill, NJ actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,072 per month in Chicago, IL vs $2,684 in Cresskill, NJ, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,072
Cresskill, NJ $2,684

A couple spends around $4,545 per month in Chicago, IL vs $4,055 in Cresskill, NJ, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,545
Cresskill, NJ $4,055

A family of three spends $6,019 per month in Chicago, IL vs $5,426 in Cresskill, NJ, rent included.

Chicago, IL $6,019
Cresskill, NJ $5,426

Chicago, IL costs about 14% more than Cresskill, NJ, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Chicago, IL and Cresskill, NJ sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 127%, Cresskill, NJ by 98%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.39 $20.39

$18.24 $18.24

11.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.6 $88.6

$98.5 $98.5

-10.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.85 $12.85

$12.24 $12.24

4.98%

Cappuccino

$5.78 $5.78

$5.40 $5.40

7.04%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 $2.74

$2.53 $2.53

8.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 $2.26

$2.40 $2.40

-5.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.88 $6.88

$7.91 $7.91

-13.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.24 $9.24

$8.07 $8.07

14.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 $1.26

$1.62 $1.62

-22.22%

White Bread (500g)

$3.55 $3.55

$3.65 $3.65

-2.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.38 $5.38

$4.08 $4.08

31.86%

Eggs

$4.55 $4.55

$3.02 $3.02

50.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.65 $13.65

$11.86 $11.86

15.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.07 $14.07

$14.97 $14.97

-6.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.06 $18.06

$15.06 $15.06

19.92%

Apples (1kg)

$5.16 $5.16

$8.10 $8.10

-36.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$3.75 $3.75

-47.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.88 $3.88

$5.38 $5.38

-27.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.83 $4.83

$5.92 $5.92

-18.41%

Potato (1kg)

$2.81 $2.81

$3.97 $3.97

-29.22%

Onion (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$4.71 $4.71

-43.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.07 $2.07

$2.52 $2.52

-17.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.03 $3.03

$2.46 $2.46

23.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.90 $13.90

$14.60 $14.60

-4.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$20.85 $20.85

-27.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.63 $2.63

$2.65 $2.65

-0.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.45 $3.45

$3.36 $3.36

2.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

$1.99 $1.99

22.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$75.3 $75.3

$59.8 $59.8

25.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 $3.17

$2.97 $2.97

6.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.70 $1.70

$2.19 $2.19

-22.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.90 $24.90

$41.80 $41.80

-40.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 $1.28

$1.15 $1.15

11.30%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$35.8K $35.8K

$31.3K $31.3K

14.51%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$26.8K $26.8K

$25.8K $25.8K

4.00%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$192 $192

$221 $221

-13.23%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$69.6 $69.6

$45.64 $45.64

52.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$62.2 $62.2

$61.0 $61.0

1.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.79 $47.79

$40.05 $40.05

19.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.10 $27.10

Cinema Ticket

$17.83 $17.83

$20.31 $20.31

-12.21%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$1,815 $1,815

$1,191 $1,191

52.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$40.6K $40.6K

$20.6K $20.6K

97.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.2 $66.2

$40.09 $40.09

65.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.4 $51.4

$30.21 $30.21

70.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 $103

$102 $102

1.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$143 $143

$91.1 $91.1

56.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,531 $2,531

$1,698 $1,698

49.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 $1,621

$1,278 $1,278

26.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,828 $4,828

$2,884 $2,884

67.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,734 $2,734

$2,240 $2,240

22.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,163 $4,163

$2,523 $2,523

65.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,723 $2,723

$2,290 $2,290

18.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,924 $4,924

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.78

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Chicago, IL: November 3, 2026

Last update for Cresskill, NJ: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52.8%

Cresskill, NJ

$1.3K 47.6% 21.1% $343

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$439 14.3%

Cresskill, NJ

$474 17.7% 7.8% $34

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$344 11.2%

Cresskill, NJ

$323 12% 6.1% $21

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$324 10.5%

Cresskill, NJ

$328 12.2% 1.3% $4.2

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.3%

Cresskill, NJ

$118 4.4% 27.6% $45

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$97 3.2%

Cresskill, NJ

$82 3% 15.5% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$83 2.7%

Cresskill, NJ

$81 3% 3.3% $2.8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,531 in Chicago, IL versus $1,698 in Cresskill, NJ. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL versus $99 in Cresskill, NJ. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $439 vs $474 – making Chicago, IL the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Cresskill, NJ

🕒 Local time

11:24 11:24 AM

12:24 12:24 PM

1 h ahead of Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

9,000

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chicago, IL Cresskill, NJ 1,140 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Chicago, IL
Cresskill, NJ

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Chicago, IL vs Cresskill, NJ: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,072 in Chicago, IL, $2,684 in Cresskill, NJ – Cresskill, NJ comes out roughly 13% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,608 per month in Chicago, IL and $4,025 in Cresskill, NJ. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Cresskill, NJ, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,698 there versus $2,531 in Chicago, IL.

Interestingly, groceries are about 7% cheaper in Chicago, IL – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL and $99 in Cresskill, NJ. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,072 in Chicago, IL and $2,684 in Cresskill, NJ. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Cresskill, NJ – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.